Batman, although often seen as a conflicting hero of darkness, often battling his own thoughts and actions, is nonetheless Gotham's hero in all aspects. Anyone who follows the history and stories of this character knows the importance of Batman's heroism. However, this may not be clear for those who have not had the pleasure of being entertained by all of the Batman films and comics. Batman enthusiasts either loved, or hated these films. While Batman is hailed the hero of both Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman" and Christopher Nolan's 2008 "The Dark Knight," the two productions differ in dramatic details, each one suiting a particular mindset. .
Much like the Batman of the original comics both Burton and Nolan do a fine job of portraying the heroic efforts of Batman through Michael Keaton (Batman) and Christian Bale (The Dark Knight). While the appearance of Gotham City, the beloved home of Bruce Wayne, also known as Batman is quite different in each of the two films, Burton staying true to the comic version, with a fun visual style and a comedic tone and Nolan taking a psychoanalytical, realism approach, making Batman less of a character from a comic book and more a human being. Nolan's Batman may take place in Gotham City, but this Gotham is a very realistic world where danger is also very real and possible. In both depictions of the heroism, Batman is called to save Gotham from the corruption and chaos of The Joker and his gang of criminal accomplices. It does not require much effort to see that Batman will go to any lengths to rescue the people of the crime infested streets as seen in both films, yet both movies have proven this in very different manners. .
Although both films share a likeness in the goals of protecting Gotham versus the symbol of Batman, the fighting style differs in many ways. Burton stays true to the old-school Batman comic books, in the sense that Michael Keaton as Batman wins every fight, simply because he is the hero, and always appears to defeat the villain just in the nick of time, often adding a quirky joke after a win.
